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May 22, 2015by: carolbiederman

Spring Has Sprung At Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania!

Spring. My favorite time of year, when drab winter landscapes are replaced with fresh green foliage and colorful flowers. And nothing says “Spring is here” quite like a walk through a botanical garden bursting forth with a plethora of spring flowers!

One of my favorite botanical gardens is Longwood Gardens, in southeastern Pennsylvania. It’s where I found myself one recent spring morning, camera in hand, poised to capture the beauty that is a spring garden in full bloom. Come along and see for yourself the beauty within through this photo-journey of Longwood Gardens.

A Cornucopia of Color In The Flower Garden

Historic Longwood Gardens was once the private estate of Pierre S. duPont. Inspired by his surroundings, he embarked on a mission that eventually lead to the wondrous gardens we see today. These lands were also once home to Quaker farmers and native Lenni Lenape Indians, long before Mr. duPont arrived here.

Today, Longwood Gardens is world renown for it’s spectacular botanical gardens. With over 1,000 acres of outdoor gardens, meadows, and woods, a spring-time walk through Longwood Gardens is sure to please the senses and provide a plethora of optimal photo opps.

Longwood’s popular Flower Garden Walk is the perfect place to begin this journey. From eye-popping shades of red, purple, orange and yellow, to fragrantly pleasing scents, the Flower Garden Walk on a warm spring day is one walk you don’t want to miss!

Spring sure has sprung along the Flower Garden Walk! Meander past foxgloves reaching for the sky above a field of green leaves and vibrant flowers. It’s as if they are beckoning you forward, towards a sea of floral decadence.

Begun in 1907 by Mr. duPont, the Flower Garden Walk was Longwood’s first formal flower garden. Today, it spans the length of two football fields – that’s 600 feet! Over the years, the gardens have grown far beyond Mr. duPont’s initial conceptions.

A stroll through the Flower Garden Walk is no ordinary stroll. Slow down, admire Mother Nature at her finest. Take note of the finer details of this amazing garden, such as early morning dew glistening upon fresh green leaves.

Stop and admire a vivid display of pansies bordering a nearby water garden, a field of green their backdrop. Imagine Mr. duPont as he once strolled through these very gardens 100 years ago. They were his pride and joy, a lifetime achievement.

Signs of Spring On Longwood Garden Trails

From bricked paths through vibrant flower gardens, to wooded walkways beneath a forested canopy, to grassy trails across meadows teeming with wild flowers, it’s easy to “become one” with nature at Longwood Gardens.

Follow the trail beyond the Flower Garden Walk, and on into Peirce’s Wood. Walk through this seven acre woodland garden, past blooming azaleas in all their spring glory, and foam flowers delicately balanced alongside a slow-moving brook.

Discover a patch of ferns beneath a canopy of oak, ash, maple and tulip trees, their fronds ready to burst forth at any moment. Explore along paths wandering through native shrubs and ground cover, freshly awakened from their winter slumber.

Hidden treasures are found around every corner, along every twist of path at Longwood Gardens. Leave plenty of time to meander down paths leading to gazebos, water gardens and hidden tree houses. Sit and ponder in a gazebo at water’s edge. Climb to the top of a tree house for vistas from high above.

Follow paths that lead you hither and yon. Perhaps the path will lead you into a wisteria garden, where flowering wisteria gracefully drape across an arbor-framed path, as if to welcome you into their home.

Longwood Gardens is so much more than “just” a botanical garden. It is a piece of history, a moment of time preserved for generations to come. You can almost see Mr. duPont standing on the front porch of his house, which still stands today in the middle of Longwood Gardens. I wonder what he would think of his gardens today?

Have You Been To Longwood Gardens?

Spring is my favorite time to explore Longwood Gardens. It has an almost magical, ethereal effect upon it’s visitors at this time of year. It’s like my own a little slice of heaven.

How about you? Have you been to Longwood Gardens? Do you enjoy visiting botanical gardens in the Spring? What’s your favorite botanical garden? Do share!

Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, approximately one hour west of Philadelphia and 30 minutes north of Wilmington Delaware. Spring hours on most days are 9:00am to 6:00pm. Check the Longwood website for Garden Admission ticket prices as well as special events dates and prices. Parking is free.

Comments

Hi Carol, Wow, what a wonderful photo journey around one of my favorite spots in the world! I have friends who are at Longwood Gardens right now. I couldn’t go with them today but now that I’ve seen your beautiful photos I feel as if I were there with them!